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Post subject: Tex Mex or Texas Specials
Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 7:27 pm
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I'm sure this topic has been tossed out there before, but here goes:

Which pickups, Tex Mex or Texas Specials, would you choose as replacements for stock mim pickups, and what types of music do you think each are best suited for (since pup choice will depend upon what you want to play)?

Also, what is you opinion of the SD Pearly Gates humbucker for a Strat?


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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:30 pm
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First of all despite having similar names the Tex-Mex pickups and the Texas Specials sound very different. Which one you like better depends on what sound you're looking for.

The Tex-Mex pickups sound like a bright vintage Strat pickup with lots of bite. More upper mid range than Texas Specials. If you're after a classic Strat sound that can handle higher gain modern music, Tex-Mex pickups would be a good choice.

Texas Specials sound warmer and mellower than Tex-Mex pups. They have lots of mid range and even though they sound thick, they still cut through the mix. I have a set in my Squier and I use it for literally all kinds of music. These pickups have turned my Squier into my main guitar because I like them so much.

I haven't played a guitar with a Pearly Gates humbucker, so I can't describe what they sound like. But I think that putting one in the bridge position with either the Texas Specials or the Tex-Mex pickups could easily make your Strat versatile enough to handle modern metal. Which is something I can't quite do with my Texas Specials alone, I usually have to revert back to my Les Paul for anything with extreme high gain.

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Post subject: Re: Tex Mex or Texas Specials
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:50 am
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APB wrote:
I'm sure this topic has been tossed out there before, but here goes:

Which pickups, Tex Mex or Texas Specials, would you choose as replacements for stock mim pickups, and what types of music do you think each are best suited for (since pup choice will depend upon what you want to play)?

Also, what is you opinion of the SD Pearly Gates humbucker for a Strat?


http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... ght=texmex

As for the SD pups, I like the SH4 in the bridge position. Lots of overtones and pinch harmonics.

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Post subject: Texas Specials
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:22 am
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I had custom shop Texas Specials professionally installed in my American Standard Strat, replacing the stock pickups.

They are brighter, louder with more punch and clarity. I play mostly electric blues and some rock.

Needless to say, I am very happy with the sound. Oftentimes, when I'm gigging, I've been approached by other guitarists who notice the sound and ask how I get it.


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Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:22 am
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In 2001 I bought a "Hot-Rodded American Fat Strat Texas Special." It came with Texas Specials at the neck and middle, and a Pearly Gates at the bridge. The humbucker was always mismatched with the other two pickups. I couldn't go to the bridge without adjusting volume down. I think of the sound of the Pearly Gates as twangy-fat. And I don't like it.

But that doesn't mean that I liked the Texas Specials, either. Despite being overpowered by the humbucker I still came to think of them as too hot.

I recently got rid of all three and installed Kinman traditionals. This is the sound I was looking for. Very much like the original Stratocasters.

But it's all a matter of taste. Do what sounds good to you.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:24 am
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texasguitarslinger wrote:
The Tex-Mex pickups sound like a bright vintage Strat pickup with lots of bite. More upper mid range than Texas Specials. If you're after a classic Strat sound that can handle higher gain modern music, Tex-Mex pickups would be a good choice.

The Tex Mex do everything really pretty well except (no surprise from a single coil) metal. Don't get me wrong, in that they do heavy tones really well. But they don't give you a Black Sabbath-type 'crunch' like a humbucker will. The Tex Mex pups offer some great tonal range, and are very flexible -- doing well with both clean tones and high gain. IMO, they are so good and affordable, it is no wonder Fender uses them in so many lines. I originally put them in my MIM Std because I got a deal on them, and I have been smiling ever since.

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